Uwishunu.com

Every Fall, the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST) organize hundreds of artists East and West of Broad Street for a large, two weekend-long tour of their respective studios.

Not only does the event give artists a chance to personally connect with art lovers from around the Philadelphia region, but gives them an opportunity to network with other artists and professionals in the field.

This year’s POST takes place the first and second weekends of October (2nd -3rd, 9th – 10th), but the final deadline for submitting your information is June 1st, 2010.

For more information, and to register online with POST, visit www.philaopenstudios.com/opportunities.

Philadelphia Open Studio Tours
www.philaopenstudios.org

Theatre Exile is known as one of Philly’s edgier theatre companies, so it’s no surprise that they took a risk by eschewing flashier plays to present Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s Shining City as their final production of the season.

The mood is generally calm and subdued – all the better to see the characters’ angst – and most of the action consists of two men talking. The simultaneously realistic and abstract set (a sparse therapist’s office in Dublin), accompanied by glowing lighting and haunting music, complements the script’s tone and dialogue perfectly.

Scott Greer plays John, a man whose wife has recently been killed in an accident. He is full of mixed feelings ranging from guilt, to doubt, to relief. The most upsetting and terrifying thing, though, is what’s brought him to therapy: he is seeing her ghost all around his house. Greer manages to convey the character’s desperation despite McPherson’s inarticulate, truncated dialogue.

The therapist, Ian, is also a man with tumultuous emotions. He is a former priest turned therapist, and he has no idea who he is. He struggles with his job, his identity, and his relationships, having just left his girlfriend and their baby. William Zielinski embodies the nuanced character, and the two men interact beautifully with each other.

This much-lauded play by a star playwright isn’t what you see on most stages nowadays. It’s a true actor and character-driven play, and feels disturbingly realistic despite turns towards the supernatural that will make you gasp, and then keep looking over your shoulder on the way home. See it while you can, the play closes on April 25th.

Shining City
Now through April 25th

Plays & Players Theatre
1714 Delancey St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 218-4022
www.theatreexile.org

Ever wonder how the Slinky came about? Yeah, me neither. However when I did find out, I was amazed. But I’m not going to share this knowledge with you. You’ll have to find out on your own by going to the It Sprang from the River! exhibit at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Sprang… is a unique and thoughtful, interactive exhibit illustrating how maritime living has crossed over into our everyday lives. Obviously, the Slinky is a highlight, but other items you use daily, such as your cell phone (which is like my third hand), GPS, and perfume wouldn’t be here today without the nautical world. Even some fashion styles and weather reporting can thank sailors.

At the exhibit, you are invited to walk through a “house” that looks a lot like many of my friends’ Ikea-furnished apartments. Throughout the house you will see the everyday items (like ones mentioned above) that were once maritime secrets. These objects literally sprang from the sea and into your home. I was truly surprised by some of the items in the exhibit that were inspired by maritime living.

I don’t want to give too much away because I want you to experience the awesomeness of this exhibit! I will, however, divulge that Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz plays a role in this exhibit, and I was lucky enough to see him in person the day I attended!

Sprang runs through January 2011, so you have time. Don’t miss this!

It Sprang from the River!
Now through January 3rd, 2011

Independence Seaport Museum
211 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3199
(215) 925-5439
www.phillyseaport.org

This weekend, the neighborhood of Fairmount will be bursting with local art, live music, restaurant deals, hands-on activities and more for the annual Fairmount Arts Crawl. The yearly festival takes place around Fairmount Avenue between 20th and 25th Streets, with free events galore.

Visitors can expect exhibits from local and national artists, and can browse through a number of paintings, prints, photos, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces at several different galleries, restaurants, and boutiques. Check out the entire list of artists participating, and where they’ll be, right here.

Mural Arts will also host an exhibit, showcasing an upcoming mural on the corner of 24th & Fairmount. Two mural artists, Phillip Adams and David
Guinn, will be at the festival, explaining the new mural and the process for developing the design.

For more information on the The Fairmount Arts Crawl, be sure to visit their official website. They even have a video available from last year’s event. Check it out.

The Fairmount Arts Crawl
Sunday, April 25, 2010, 2pm-6pm
www.fairmountartscrawl.com

Jordan Griska's 'Icarus'

This Friday, the Esther Klein Gallery is debuting their latest exhibit, Nowhere Fast by Jordan Griska.

I’ve been to a few of Jordan’s gallery openings, and his work is really fantastic. Icarus, the sculpture pictured above, is a massive kinetic piece, which uses a giant propeller to inflate a large, solar parachute. You can check out some more of Jordan’s work on his official website.

Jordan will also debut some new works at the exhibit, including “Bug-out Vehicle, a homemade submarine repurposed from used propane-gas tanks.”

The exhibit will be on display at the gallery April 23rd through June 25th, 2010. You can stop by and meet the artist this Friday, from 5pm to 8pm.

Nowhere Fast
April 23rd – June 25th, 2010

Esther M Klein Art Gallery
3600 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2641
(215) 966-6188
www.kleinartgallery.org

A delicious pile of French Toast @ the Famous 4th Street Deli

Maybe it’s because they’ve had 87 years to get it right. Maybe it’s because the intoxicating scent of its impossibly chewy, melt-on-your-fingers cookies has wafted its way into the very spirit of Reading Terminal. Maybe, simply, it’s because they are a Philadelphia institution: a Jewish-style corner delicatessen owned by the same family for three generations, warming bellies from early morning to night with so-good-you’ll groan comfort food. Whatever the reason, Famous Fourth Street Deli is the city’s best deli… and they’ve got a fantastic brunch to boot.

The challah French toast gives any diner, and brunch spot, a run for its money. Thick hunks of eggy challah bread are deep-fried so they’re crispy on the outside, velvety on the inside, and piled – I mean piled – on a plate served with Smucker’s syrup. Nothing the kitchen serves will be less than lip-lickingly good, but other reliable dishes include the corned beef hash – served steaming with chunks of potato and peppers, and matzoh ball soup, aburst with softball-sized matzoh balls boiled to the perfect density.

Mini chewy chocolate chip cookies replace dinner mints at this establishment, but don’t cheat yourself out of a trip to the sweets display case. All desserts are baked in-house, from the black and white cookies as wide as frisbees, to the feathery, nutty carrot cake coated in sweet cream cheese icing, sliced into slabs that nearly overfill a standard large Styrofoam container.

At first glance the prices seem high, but given the staggering portion size and culinary quality you’ll get more than you bargained for. Impress out-of-towners, cure a Sunday morning hangover, or just indulge in some stomach stuffing of your own at one of Philly’s shining restaurant stars.

Famous 4th Street Delicatessen
700 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-3102
(215) 922-3274
www.famous4thstreetdelicatessen.com

The Free Library Festival takes place on Saturday! Shop for books, meet famous authors, and more on 4/17!

Friday

Travels With My Aunt @ the Walnut Street Theatre
Last chance to catch this show before it closes. Curtain drops on this performance on Sunday, April 18th. Read what Silvana thought of the show, here.

Final Days @ Body Worlds II
It’s your last chance to catch the Body Worlds exhibit at the Franklin Institute. They will be open til midnight, tonight and tomorrow.

Saturday

Mr. Gay Philadelphia 2010
The annual contest hits the Voyeur Nightclub tomorrow night! Read up on it over at Nightlifegay.

Open Mic Night @ Giovanni’s Room
The landmark Gayborhood bookstore is hosting an open mic night! Come show off your poetry, short stories, novels-in-progress, whatever. Starts at 7pm!

Xeno Bracelets on Sale @ Hudson Beach
This weekend only, my favorite little glassblowing studio is offering up a 20% discount on their beautiful, handmade bracelets. Go shop!

2nd Annual Earth Day Festival in Clark Park
Come shop, listen to local music, nibble on healthy food from The Food Trust, and learn how to live a more ‘green’ lifestyle at the second annual Earth Day festival in Clark Park.

Great American Bake Sale
Two Uwishunu contributors are participating in this awesome event. Proceeds help benefit Share Our Strength. Marisa has the full story, here.

Free Library Festival @ the Library’s Central Branch
Shop for books, meet famous authors, and sample some of Stephen Starr’s best restaurants during this awesome, all day festival. James has the scoop, here.

Celebrate Cherry Blossoms @ the Morris Arboretum
Thrown in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Morris Arboretum is hosting a party in honor of Philly’s beautiful cherry trees. Come on out.

Sunday

Free Ballet X Lecture & Demonstration
Come learn about what it takes to be a Ballet X dancer, at this free talk and performance.

Photography by Gabriel Bienczycki

I’ve waxed poetic about my love for BalletX an embarrassing number of times already, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. The edgy, modern dance company is presenting their Spring Series performance this weekend only at the Wilma Theatre, and if you have even a passing interest in performing arts, you should do you best to catch it – they just might make a dance fan out of you!

The performance consists of four pieces performed by nine phenomenal dancers. The first is a fun and lyrical piece choreographed by Thang Dao. The dancers’ joy is tangible as they hurtle across the stage in eye-catching harlequin costumes. The second piece is another world premiere choreographed by Christine Cox, one of BalletX’s artistic directors, who also dances (for the first time in years) in another of the works. Set to a mishmash of different music, the dance is upbeat, raucous, and has a tribal feeling at times.

Carry Me is the one piece on the program that is not a premiere – but it’s critically acclaimed and very beautiful. It’s a striking duet performed by two women, and is a touching examination of a parent/child role reversal. Every gorgeous quivering muscle is picked out and highlighted by the simple and stark lighting.

The final piece is choreographed by Lauren Putty, an up-and-coming 26 year old UArts grad. Set to modern music by The Postal Service, Radiohead, and Cinematic Orchestra, the dance feels young and vibrant, alternating between harshly mechanical movements (fitting for the lyrics “this place is a prison”) and graceful athleticism.

BalletX never disappoints. Check them out this weekend.

Ballet X Fall Series
Now through April 18th, 2010
www.balletx.org

The Wilma Theatre
265 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 546-7824
www.wilmatheater.org

Inside Giovanni's Room, Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

Most of my posts about Giovanni’s Room circle around their outstanding author outreach program, bringing fantastic, influential writers to the Gayborhood’s landmark bookstore. This weekend however, Giovanni’s Room is inviting you on stage, for their open mic night.

The open mic at Giovanni’s Room starts tomorrow, Saturday, April 17th, at 7pm sharp. If you’d like to perform or read, show up at 6:30pm to sign up. Admission is only $5.

Come take the stage, and share some of your own literary treasures.

Giovanni’s Room
345 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 923-2960
www.giovannisroom.com

Earlier this week, our friends over at Phillyist reported that the Free Library offers up free podcasts from many of their author events.

Some of the recordings date as far back as 1999, with readings from John Updike, the late, great David Foster Wallace, Malcolm Gladwell, Jill Scott, Tim O’Brien, and a couple hundred more.

Visit the Free Library’s official website, and browse through the extensive list. You’re sure to find a reading from an author you love. Enjoy.

[ via Phillyist ]